With our arms linked, Sam in his father's borrowed tuxedo which was too loose on him and I in my thrifted pastel blue dress marched in the open ground bustling with elegantly dressed people. My mother made a grand affair of her wedding by inviting the entire town that she resided in and the elaborate decoration that she vividly flaunted here. There was an unnecessary marble fountain in the middle of the grassland and all the tables surrounded it, forming a neat circle. The long tables with enormous quantities of food and fancy pastries that definitely tasted like muck were arranged parallel to the ground on either side as if one counter wasn't sufficient.

"I see her," I whispered to Sam who tightened his comforting hold. "I hope I screw up her entire wedding and take a satisfying revenge. I just want to make her cry. Eh, look at her phoney smile."

"You're a devil Mariana, but I don't blame you. When was the last time you two met?" Sam asked, consciously buttoning his collar for the thousandth time. It was a useless effort, that particular button always came undone. No matter how hard he tried.

"I don't know . . . Two years ago . . . Or was it three? It was Christmas and instead of sending her regular greeting cards, she shamelessly showed up at the door. Dad didn't let her in so she took me out to Mc Donalds and we talked. Rather she talked about her fantastic new life and how much she missed me. I was just stuffing the Big Mac which suddenly felt too dry and tasteless. I was hoping to go home." I recalled that day, it was the coldest day of my life. "She realized how uninterested I was and that I was a 'daddy's girl' so she never came after that. I still receive the occasional greeting cards with money on my birthdays and holidays. I guess we fell into that pattern where we're too busy or in my case, simply bored, to give a damn about each other."

"Well . . . Fuck, she's coming here." Sam nudged me as if I was blind and couldn't see her approaching us in her larger-than-life gown.

"Mariana, what a lovely surprise!" Her wide eyes gleamed, matching the diamonds on her necklace. Her gaze flickered between Sam and me, her arms outstretching to hug me. "You have grown up so beautiful . . . "

Without a mother.

"Yeah," I mumbled against her scented hair, they smelled pleasantly of vanilla. I pulled away and she proceeded to hug Sam whose eyes instantly flashed to me. "He's my friend, Sam."

"Nice to meet you, I'm glad Mariana got a friend with her. Enjoy yourself." She kept up with her pretence of being genuine. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand and placed it on her stomach. "There's something I wanted to tell---"

I withdrew my hand and staggered back. A clueless smile was frozen on her plump lips as if the most natural thing to do was invite your estranged daughter to your wedding and throw the news of your pregnancy. Point out how content you were with a husband and a brand new baby. I hated Dave and I felt a bubbling rage towards the innocent baby who wasn't prepared for what was to inevitably come- abandonment. But what if my mother never left its side? That thought irked me more.

"Congratulations," I managed to say softly, wanting to retort bitterly, but no words came out. Fortunately, she was distracted by a guest who dared to wear white on her wedding day and I grabbed Sam's arm, dragging him behind the flamboyant fountain. "I can't believe this shit."

He grinned, despite my humourless tone. "I thought you would be used to shit by now."

"Not of this kind!" I shouted, instantly lowering my voice to a hiss. "I came with the intention of wrecking this wedding, but I can't bring myself to. This is so complicated and frustrating . . . "

"Look at you having a pure heart," Sam mocked me, taking a glimpse of my mum who was with difficulty, trying to keep up her sweet façade in front of the reckless guest in white.

"I can't wish for her to have a good life, I simply can't," I confessed, feeling the sudden lurch in my stomach. "There he is."

Dave paraded out with his boastful laugh and an ostentatious display of affection towards his bride. He kissed my mum noisily which earned a few whistles and hoots. My mum laughed with her mouth open so we could all see her teeth and tongue. Her eyes momentarily met mine as she continued laughing and Sam's hand wrapped around my waist. He pulled me in a big hug and I smirked, proud and relieved that he did that. "Exactly the reason I called you."

"You see the reason why girls fall for me?"

"No need to get cocky now." I turned and Dave and mum were longer there. "Let's feast, finish off all my mother's money."

"Cheers." Sam had already acquired a glass of wine. "Exactly the reason I came here." His narrow eyes swept across the ground, settling on a brunette in a purple frock. "And that."

"You have my blessings."

"Much needed." He gulped down the wine and placed it on the table. He checked his combed hair on the reflection of his phone and with an impish grin, he advanced towards the 'target.' "See you tomorrow Mariana."

"Thanks for ditching dickhead," I shouted and thankfully, no one bothered to give me unwanted attention for my foul language. With my eyes glued to the food, I manoeuvred my way through the crowd to the counter. I didn't really have an appetite, but I wanted something to complain about in my head. Perhaps there was less salt in the pasta or there was too much butter in the chicken.

I was dumping a dollop of sour cream on my plate when I heard a familiar voice, "Hey Ana."

Obviously, you're here.

"How are you?" There was concern lacing his gentle voice. "I'm sorry if I---"

"I'm fine," I interrupted, serving myself something that resembled rubber. It better be chicken. Then I could criticise about it all day and subtly taunt about it later to my dear mum.

"I know it's difficult for you today and that---"

"Beans," I said, shoving Isaac aside. "Why is it so difficult to find beans in a damn wedding?"

"It's there." He awkwardly pointed and ignoring his direction, I went the other way. "Hey, hey, hey."

The moment his hand touched my shoulder, I whirled around. "What?"

His pale grey eyes searched for that one slip of sadness on my face, but I wouldn't let him catch my vulnerability. "I just want to know if you're okay."

"Is this some funeral where I'm expected to cry?"

"No." He let out a dry laugh, unamused. "I'm not sure if a funeral has the power to make you cry. Birthdays of spoiled brats . . . Weddings of the people you're not fond of . . . Certainly."

"You know me so well." I smiled wryly. "If you had known me these recent years, you would have known how I hate hearing about what I don't like. One being you."

I didn't feel good saying that, I wished I could take it back.

Isaac's nostrils flared, I always imagined all his anger was collected right at the red tip of his nose because his eyes still held serenity. "You broke the promise. You never came back. Why?"

"I didn't want to," I lied. "I was done."

"But it wasn't my fault. It wasn't our fault."

"You don't know shit," I snapped and when Isaac opened his mouth to argue, my phone vibrated. I picked it up without excusing myself from Isaac. "What now Sam?"

"I'm actually going home with the brunette," he said smugly. "I'll stay the night at her place. Two of her friends are also joining."

"I appreciate your generosity in sharing disgusting details, but it was not necessary."

"No, I called you to know how you'll be going home."

"With the smart use of my brain---" My phone disappeared from my hands and it was in Isaac's.

"She's with me, we'll go together," he cut me off, not paying any heed to my disapproving comments. 

Sam's tone sounded urgent and demanding. "Who's this Mariana?"

Isaac tossed the phone back to me and I hastily said, "It's Isaac, my uh co-worker."

"What is he doing here? You never told me about him---"

"It doesn't matter and I did tell you . . ." I glanced at a satisfied looking Isaac and diverted the flow of my sentence. "I'll go home without getting trafficked or murdered, don't worry."

"Text me when you leave and reach."

"Alright," I said exasperatedly. "Bye."

I disconnected the call without waiting for him to say a bye back.

"I thought you would bring Tony with you," Isaac voiced his intelligent opinion as we both sat at a table.

I kept forgetting that he still believed Tony and I were dating. Tony and I. Ridiculous.

I stuffed the rubber-like thing in my mouth and damn it, it was chicken and absurdly delicious. A sudden gust of wind blew which made Isaac's large mop of hair sway and I noticed how infuriating he looked to me. Infuriating because of his handsomeness. I always knew he would turn out to be attractive, but I wouldn't be there to see that. And here I was, seeing how much he had grown, but at the same time, not so much because Isaac could never hold the malice that most adults did. He still had the genuineness of a child which infuriated me more.

"It's going to rain," Isaac said, watching the sky which resembled the colour of his eyes.

"I hope it does," I muttered tartly and saw the worry etched on people's faces. Everyone was thinking the same. It was as if the sky was on my side today and since I was too much of a coward to pull revenge on my mum, the clouds would do it for me. "Let's go home."

"You're not going to eat?"

"Are you coming or not?" I stood up, pushing my filled plate away.

"Yeah, I'll come. Let me tell my mum." He glanced back and I saw his mother after two whole years. I had once bumped into her in a café when I was with Allison, but I didn't bother to greet her. I aimed straight for the glass door, rushing a disgruntled Allison on her period behind me.

"I'll be at the bus stop," I announced, stalking out of the goddamn place.